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Judge approves extension in McIlvaine case

McIlvaine allowed more time to remove boom truck

Cliff McIlvaine talks with reporters outside his St. Charles home last year. McIlvaine started his home repair project at 605 Prairie St. in 1975.

St. Charles resident Clifford McIlvaine has been given more time as part of his decadeslong home-improvement project.

Kane County Circuit Judge David Akemann on Friday gave McIlvaine until July 15 to remove a boom truck from his property at 605 Prairie St., St. Charles. McIlvaine was supposed to have the boom truck removed by the end of May as part of a recent court agreement.

McIlvaine had asked for the request.

"I won't grant any further requests," Akemann told McIlvaine attorney Philip Piscopo. According to Piscopo, McIlvaine needs the boom truck in part to help build a storage facility on his property that will be used to store vehicles and construction material.

"He plans on making more progress between now and July," Piscopo said.

Piscopo said the construction of the storage facility has hit a snag because the city is requiring that plans for the facility receive an engineer's approval.

Attorney Phillip Luetkehans, who represents the city of St. Charles, said the city should not be blamed for the delay in the construction of the storage facility.

"We have not received engineering drawings from Mr. McIlvaine," he said. "We have asked for them for two months."

Luetkehans said the city wants to make sure all safety precautions are taken in the construction of the storage facility.

"Unless there is something glaring, we will sign off on it if it complies with our code," he said.

The city sued McIlvaine in 2010, pushing him to get project that began in the 1970s. A work schedule later was agreed upon in court. McIlvaine briefly was jailed in 2012 when he refused to comply with the city’s plumbing code as part of the project.

The project was supposed to be completed by the end of September 2012, according to the order.